The Leasing Foundation said that George Ashworth (managing director, Asset Finance, Aldermore), Richard Carter (head of equipment finance, HSBC Bank), John Hooper (executive director, National Australia Bank UK), Mary McNamara (chief executive officer, Commercial Division, Close Brothers) and Ronald Slaats (CEO and chairman, executive board, De Lage Landen) have agreed to become governors. They join the existing group of governors in helping to fulfill the Foundation’s mission of philanthropy, research and professional development.

Foundation director Tarun Mistry said, “With the addition of these leading figures in the industry to our group of governors, the Leasing Foundation is building an outstanding community of individuals. We will announce both our final Governors, and the first of our Founding Fellows, in the coming weeks – which means we are ready to go to work on our mission of research, giving and industry development.”

The mission of the Leasing Foundation is to support the leasing and asset finance industry by providing focus and organization for charitable activities, by performing rigorous, challenging and relevant research in areas that impact the industry and its future, and by seeking opportunities to sustain the industry by developing people in the industry. The Foundation is not a lobbying body or a trade association.

Programs include: LFGiving, events that donate to a range of charities; LFResearch, an annual independent research report shared across the industry; LFWomen in Leasing, to bring together and encourage the development of women in the industry; LFFuture Leaders, to develop the new entrants to the industry; and The Leasing Fellows, an invitation-only community of the leading thinkers in leasing and asset finance.